Metal burial casket and liner inserts therefor



METAL BURIAL GASKET AND LINER INSERTS THEREFOR Filed July 28, 1961 C. H. ROSS Feb. 8, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ll L 1mm.

INVENTOR. CARL H. R055 ATToRN c. H. Ross 3,233,302

METAL BURIAL GASKET AND LINER INSERTS THEREFOR Feb. 8, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 28, 1961 n A n A A l INVENTOR. CARL H. R055 ATTORNEY METAL BURIAL GASKET AND LINER INsERTs THEREFOR Filed July 28, 1961 C. H. ROSS Feb. 8, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ull,

INVENTOR.

CARL H. R055 A ATToRN c. H. Ross 3,233,302

METAL BURIAL GASKET AND LINER INSERTS THEREFOR Feb. 8, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 28. 1961 l"""" l l..'.'.'.......'..

BY JMW ATTORNE c. H. Ross 3,233,302

METAL BURIAL GASKET AND LINER INSERTS THEREFOR Feb. 8, 1966 5 Sheets-Sme?l 5 Filed July 28, 1961 INVENTOR. CAR/ H. ROSS XM? a ATTORNE United States Patent O 3,233,302 METAL BURIAL GASKET ANB UNER iNSERT THEREFOR Carl H. Ress, Cincinnati, Ohio, assigner to The Crane da Breed Casket Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of hio Filed July 28, 1961, Ser. No. 127,624 i9 Claims. (Cl. 27-6) This invention relates to burial caskets, and more particularly to improvements in the means for securing lining and decorative materials to the interior thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of burial casket wherein mounting strips are associated with those portions of the peripheral, marginal flange of the body and cap portions, for providing means engageable by portions of decorative or lining materials for the casket interior.

The present invention permits a funeral director to conveniently substitute, change or alter the upholstered interiors of the cap and body portions of a casket, without requiring the aid of skilled labor, an upholsterer, cabinetmaker, mechanic, or the like. This feature is of prime importance since it enables a funeral dire-ction to permit the bereaved family of a deceased to choose a particular interior from a number of interiors on hand and all of which may easily be associated with the particular casket selected by the family.

Another important feature of the invention is that it permits a funeral director to quickly and easily remove the decorative interior from one casket for installation in another casket, thereby greatly increasing the available selection or choice of casket-interior combinations without equiring a large inventory of caskets, as is the case when caskets are provided with individually upholstered interiors which could not be removed except at the factory by the manufacturer.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of burial casket for facilitating, simplifying and expediting the manufacture thereof with substantial savings in time, labor, wastage of material and rejects incident to fabrication by mass production methods.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination shrine and skirt construction which may be completely prefabricated and then associated with portions of the marginal flange of a casket body for securely though releasably anchoring said shrine and skirt combination relative to the casket body whereby the shrine may be disposed over the marginal flange of the casket body and thence downwardly exteriorly of the casket wal when the lid or cap of the casket is open; and which shrine may be folded into the interior of the casket prior to closing the lid or cap thereof in such a manner as to completely clear the sealing media provided between the adjacent faces of the marginal flange of the body and lid, to facilitate proper sealing of the casket for interment.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel mounting means for a prefabricated, unitary, ornamented sheet material insert for the lid or head and foot caps of a casket, wherein said ornamental insert includes a central panel and side panels which project from the outer periphery of the central panel. Such an ornamental insert is adapted to be securely though releasably associated with the lid and/or head and foot cap members of a casket by disposing opposite edges of the side panels between spaced abutments on the marginal flange which cause the side panels to be bowed or flexed for thereby continuously and resiliently urging peripheral portions of the central panel against and in seating relationship with portions of Patented Feb. 8, 1956 ICC the lid or cap members remote from the peripheral marginal flange thereof.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a resilient gimp between adjacent portions of a casket and the decorative lining material secured thereto, whereby to effectively and neatly conceal tie juncture of the decorative lining material with the casket.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and as disclosed in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a perspective View of a half-couch type burial casket embodying the teachings of the present invention with the head cap open to expose the interior thereof.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the hea-d and foot caps of FIG. l in coplanar relationship showing the peripheral marginal flanges thereof, with the decorative lining material omitted.

FIG. 3 is a transverse cross-section of a prefabricated shrine and skirt assembly as it is received from the upholstery department.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the side wall of a casket body embodying the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, illustrating the manner in which the prefarbicated shrine and skirt assembly of FIG. 3 is folded incident to attachment relative to the marginal flange of the casket body.

FIG. 6 is a sectional View taken on line 6 6 of FIG. '1, showing the shrine draped outwardly over the side of the casket and with the skirt depending interiorly thereof.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FG. 6, illustrating the relationship of the parts when the shrine has been disposed interiorly of the casket interiorpreparatory to closing the head cap thereof.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 8 8 of FIG. l, showing a prefabricated, ornamental sheet material insert associated with the interior of a head cap according to the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the left end of the ornamental sheet material insert of FIG. 8 prior to its association with the hea-d cap.

FIG. l0 is a sectional view of the left end of the ornamental sheet material insert of FIG. 8 prior to its association with the head cap.

FIGS. ll, l2 and 13 are fragmentary cross-sectional views illustrating three different modifications of the manner in which the lower end of the side panel of the pire- -fabricated ornamental sheet material insert of FlG. l0 may be associated with the mounting strip of the head cap.

With reference now to FlG. l, the numeral 16 indicates generally a burial casket formed of sheet metal and having the usual sides, ends and bottom. The front side of the casket body is indicated at 18 and the head end thereof at 2Q. The numerals 24- and 26 indicate a head cap and foot cap, respectively, suitably secured, by conventional means not illustrated, relative to the casket body.

The sides and ends of the casket body 16 are provided with a continuous upper peripheral rim 22, note FIG. 4, which is integral with a peripheral marginal body ilange 32, the inner edge of which is downturned to provide a marginal lip 34 interiorly of the body and having a free lower edge 4t) in substantial parallelism with flange 32.

As best illustrated in FIG. 2, the head and foot caps 24 and 26 are provided with a marginal flange i130. As illustrated in FIG. 9, the marginal flange is integral with depending peripheral rim 28, and the inner edge of said flange is upturned to provide a marginal lip 132 having a free upper edge 148.

When a casket is closed, the marginal flanges 130 of the cap members will be disposed in horizontal parallel abutting relationship with marginal flange 32 of the casket body. In sealer-type of caskets, a gasket is secured to and carried by the marginal flange 32 of the body for producing a substantially air-tight closure when the cap members are lowered into contacting relationship therewith.

It has been customary to line or upholster the interior of a casket body and the lid, or head cap, 24 with padding and a decorative fabric of pleasing texture and design, to beautify the structure. In the case of full couch caskets, the entire cap and body are upholstered throughout the length of the casket. However, in the half-couch type illustrated, it is customary to upholster only the head cap, and a limited portion of the casket body. This upholstery step in the manufacture of a casket has heretofore been quite expensive due to the skill and time involved in applying the upholstery material. One of the primary objects of the present invention is to simplify and expedite this operation.

With particular reference now to FIG. 3, I have illustrated a prefabricated shrine and skirt assembly which includes an anchor panel 78. This assembly may comprise a ydecorative skirt panel 52 of fine fabric material such as silk, rayon, or the like, suitably tufted, `gathered or otherwise arranged to produce a pleasing appearance. The numeral 54 denotes a backing, second sheet or panel of less expensive material for concealing whatever is located behind or beneath the skirt, and, in some instances, `for adding body to skirt 52. The free ends 56 and 58 of panels 52 and 54 are adapted to be received interiorly of the casket bodyas a skirt along a side or an end wall thereof to provide a pleasing appearance to the interior t-hereof.

A resilient pad 60 of cotton padding or the like may be provided, as disclosed, for imparting a soft and fluffy appearance to the skirt.

The opposite ends of panel 52 and 54 are indicated at 62 and 64, respectively, wherein end 62 of panel S2 defines the lowermost edge 66 of the shrine or overlay 70.

That portion of panel 54 adjacent its end 64 may be stitched or otherwise secured as at 74 to an end portion 76 of padding member 60 and to a relatively stiff but flexible, bendable form board or anchor panel 78 which embraces pad 60 on opposite sides of anchorage 74. The lower marginal portion of the anc-hor panel may be transversely scored or initially bent along a line Si) for defining a predetermined exure zone, as will hereinafter be more fully set forth.

Pendent portion 7G of the shrine includes a sheet of padding material 82 suitably confined between parallel lines of stitching 72 and 84 which pass through panel or sheet 52 and a backing panel sheet S6 which overlies the front of pad `8?.. rl'he opposite face of this pad is covered by a backing sheet 88 and an outer or overlying decorative panel or sheet material 92. Panels 52 and 86 are connected as at 84 to panels 92 and S8 by stitching, or the like,

Panels 52 and 86, and panels 92 and 88, are also connected at 72 along with that portion of backing sheet or panel 54 of the skirt to which the anchor panel '7S is secured.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that the prefabricated shrine and skirt assembly comprises a unitary structure which may be completely fabricated, using modern mass-production methods in an upholstery department and delivered to the assembly department of a casket manufacturer, or to a funeral director, to be securely though releasably anchored to the casket body without requiring special equipment or the use of tacking, stitching, or the like.

At intervals along vthe length of marginal flanges 32, a plurality of spaced mounting strips 36 are provided, as indicated in FIG. 4, in association with the marginal flange 32 and lip 34 of the body; said strip including a base or mounting leg 46 permanently affixed to the under-face of marginal ange 32 as by spot welding, or the like; a spacer or inner depending leg 44 which is in substantial parallelism with peripheral rim 22, and in parallel spaced relationship with the marginal lip 34, with which it forms a packet area 42. The lower end of leg 44 is turned upwardly to provide a rounded juncture 50 with a hanger or outer leg 48 which is inclined with respect to leg 44. The numeral 3S denotes a throat between the free lower end 46 of marginal lip 34 and hanger leg 48 of the mounting strip.

It will be noted, see FlG. 4, that the mounting strip 36 has been associated with ange 32 whereby to co-operate with lip 34 to form an elongate check-shaped housing having an access opening throughout its entire length.

The prefabricated shrine and skirt assembly of FIG.. l may -be quickly and easily associated with the mounting strip of FIG. 4 by folding the pendent portion 70 of the shrine upwardly about and relative to the lower end of the anchor panel 78, as illustrated in FIG. 5, and of then applying a downward movement thereto for introducing the' free lower end thereof into the access opening of the check-shaped housing and downwardly into throat 38, thence along and in contacting relationship with the upper face of hanger leg 48, thence around juncture 50 and 'hence upwardly into pocket 42 between the marginal lip 34 and depending leg 44, for locating the free end of the anchor panel within said pocket and at an elevation above lower end 40 of the marginal lip 34. When thus disposed, the crease line will be seated Within rounded juncture 5t) of the mounting strip, and those portions of the anchor panel to the right thereof will extend upwardly along and beyond the free upper end 49 of hanger leg 48. The shrine and skirt assembly may be securely though release ably anchored relative to the mounting strip by folding the anchor panel sharply downwardly over upper edge d@ of hanger leg 48 as illustrated in FIG. 6.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that simple, inexpensive, yet highly effective means have been provided for securely though releasably anchoring a prefabricated shrine and skirt assembly relative to the marginal ange of a casket body.

Shrine 70 may be disposed over the marginal ange 32 and thence downwardly over the front panel 18 of the casket for providing the decorative appearance illustrated in FIG. l, while effectively concealing the gasket or sealing means 30. When it is desired to close the casket, the pendent portion of the shrine may be swung upwardly, over and downwardly relative to the mounting strip as illustrated in FIG. 7, for disposing it interiorly of the casket body in overlying relationship with skirt panel 52. When disposed as illustrated in FIG. 7, the sealing means carried by marginal body flange 32 is completely exposed for engagement with an adjacent face of the marginal flange of the lid or cap members of the casket.

The arrangement above described is applicable to the half-couch type of casket shown, and may be applied as well to the full couch type of casket wherein the cap is coextensive with the length of the casket body. In either structure, the ends as well as the sides of the casket body may be furnished with upholstery in unit for mas described, the end units being usually separate from the side units, but tted where the units meet one another to provide a neat and practically invisible joint. Mounting: strips 36 may be applied along the casket body flange in; such numbers and at any locations which may be con-4 sidered necessary to properly secure the upholstery in: place.

Ornamental upholstery material in prefabricated unit form is provided in accordance with the present invention, for lining the casket top or cap. The unit, or cap insert, may comprise a laminated central panel indicated generally at 96, FIG. 8, dimensioned to fit over and cover the bare underface 98 of the casket cap. If the cap in any instance is designed so as to include a raised arch, as indicated at 1th), the central panel 96 will preferably be dimensioned to span the a1^ch and abut the cap at the arch margin, as indicated at 102. Panel 96 ordinarily will be substantially rectangular in form, having marginal side portions A104 to abut the casket cap outside the limits of the arch 100. In any event, the central panel 96 will be smaller in size than the distance between opposed rims of the cap, to permit insertion of the upholstered or ornamental unit or insert into the hollow interior of the cap.

To the marginal side portions 104 of central panel 96 are secured side members 106 adapted to depend therefrom for covering the inner cavity of the rim 28 when the insert is installed in the cap or casket top. On a half-couch type of casket there will be three side members 106 bounding three edge margins of the central panel 96, whereas on a full couch type, four side members 106 will be required in order to finish all sides and ends of the full length cap.

As disclosed by FlGS. 8 to 13, the central panel of the cap insert may comprise an initially fiat base sheet 108 of whiteboard or equivalent paper material, which is faced with a decorative finish sheet 110 of silk, rayon, or other fine fabric. The latter may be secured to the base sheet with the use of staples or stitchings 112, or by means of an adhesive, if desired. When necessary, fixation of the one sheet to the other may be effected at Various locations intermediate the side portions 104 of the central panel. The base sheet 10S preferably is relatively stiff in character, .but may easily be flexed to arch formation as shown.

The side members or panels 106 of the cap insert may comprise a base sheet 114 of whiteboard or equivalent material as above related, having its opposite faces covered with a sheet of corrugated paperboard 116', and a sheet 1,18 of decorative fabric or the like corresponding preferably to the panel sheet 110 in quality. The corrugations 120 of sheet 116 should extend horizontally, or in parallelism with the panel margin 104 to which the sheet 116 is attached, in order to yield readily to bowing of side member or panel 106 during installation of the whole insert, as will be explained. The sheets 114 and 118 are secured to the marginal portions 104 of the central panel member 96, as indicated at 112, by means of staples, stitching, cement, or other suitable expedient applied to the upper marginal portions 122 and 124 of said sheets. The lower or free marginal portions 126 and 128 of the side member sheets are adapted for anchorage to the rim portion ofthe casket top or cap, as will be explained.

lt should be understood that the rectangular central panel 96 will be provided with at least three side panel members such as 106, or possibly four, depending upon whether the casket top or cap is a head cap or a full cap. At the corners, mitered joints for the ends of the several side mem-bers are preferred so as to produce neatly iinished corners.

1n order to accommodate and fix the upholstered cap insert, the rim of the cap is provided with improved anchorage means of a simplified quick-action nature which is positive and dependable in the performance of its function.

The rim is provided with an inwardly extending flange 130 which is horizontal when the cap is closed upon the rim of the casket body, said flange 130 having an upturned lip 132 integral and coextensive with the fiange and disposed substantially at right angles thereto. Upon the inner face 134 of tiange 130 is welded or otherwise suitably xed the base leg 136 of a sheet metal angle plate or strip 138, the second leg 140 of which is turned upwardly in the general direction of extension of lip 132, but at an obtuse angle to leg 136, thereby to form with the lip 132 a pocket or channel 142 having a reduced or constricted throat 144. The upper or free edge 146 of leg 140 overlies the upper free edge 148 of lip 132, and by preference extends no farther inwardly beyond flange than does the lip 132.

As illustrated in FG. 9, when lip 132 is at right angles with flange 130, the strip 138 forms an elongate, triangular shaped housing having an elongate access throat 144 beyond and in the plane of lip 132.

in anchoring the cap insert to the cap rim, the insert is first laid into the cap with the center panel 96 in covering position adjacent to the underface 98, and with the marginal portions of the panel contacting the cap interior at 102 along the interior of the rim. The side members 106 thereupon may be flexed or bowed inwardly to the extent necessary for insertion of the side member ends 126-128 into the throat of housing or pocket 142, FIG. l1, whereupon the ends of the side member impinge against the upper face of flange 130 at the bottom of the pocket as the bowing of the side member tends to diminish under the natural tendency of the side member to return to fiat conditon. This results in a positive retention of the side member Without liability of displacement from pocket 142.

Should the anchorage of the side member require added finishing or a more secure connection, a iiexible rubberlike ornamental strip or gimp 15) may be applied to the joint, as indicated, The strip or gimp may be continuous with lip 132, and will preferabljI have an elongate slot or groove 152 to receive the upper edge of lip 132, while at the same time forming a continuous tongue or wedge 154 snugly entering the reduced throat of pocket 142 and frictionally engaging the side member 106.

The gimp includes an arcuate outer face 151 which provides a pleasing transition surface spanning and covering the joint between the adjacent portions of lip 132 and the outer surface of side panel 106. The gimp also includes an inclined inner surface 153 adapted to abuttingly engage the marginal edge of panels 106, as illustrated.

As illustrated by FGS. ll, l2, and 13, the corrugated board sheet 116 may or may not be permitted to enter the pocket 142, and, if desired, it may overlap leg of angle plate 138 as in FlIG. 13, or it may fail short of overlapping as suggested by FIG. l1. The angle plate 138, as indicated in FIG. 2, is by preference much shorter than the length or width of the casket cap, and several such plates may be arranged and secured along the cap rim, some of the plates being shorter than others, if desired.

The tendency of the side panel member 106 to return toward normally flat condition, due to the presence of the relatively stiff resilient whiteboard reinforcement sheets 114, imposes sufcient force against the center panel at the margins 104, to maintain the panel in arched position inside the cap as illustrated by FIG. 8. As will be understood, any material which will perform the stated function of the whiteboard sheet may be substituted therefor if desired.

In the light of the foregoing explanation, it should be appreciated that the improvements of the present invention serve to greatly facilitate and expedite the finishing of a burial casket, with substantial savings of skilled labor and assembly time resulting. Cost of manufacture is accordingly reduced to a marked extent, with a substantial increase in factory output.

A further modification which may be utilized for the purpose of eliminating the need for a gimp embodies the use of cording which may be applied directly to the outer fabric panel 118 for thereby securely and permanently securing a neat-appearing, rounded, clothcovered, ornamental beading adjacent to the peripheral edge of the side panels 106. When such a construction is used, the under-surface of the cording will be engaged by and rest directly upon upper edge 14S of lip 132, thereby limiting the amount by which the lower end of a side insert panel 106 may be received within the pocket 142.

It is to be understood that various modifications and 7 changes may be made in the structural details, and in substitution of material employed,'within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

ln conclusion, it should be understood that whereas the specification and claims refer to casket structures fabricated from sheet metal, said reference to metal is exemplary rather than restrictive in nature, inasmuch as the subject invention may be applied to casket structures fabricated from plastic, liber glass, wood, or the like.

What is claimed is:

l. In a burial casket having body and top units of sheet metal, inwardly extending planar marginal flanges on one of said units terminating in lips having free edges which project into the unit, means associated with said flanges and forming with the lips thereof elongate housings each having an inwardly facing elongate access throat defined by the free edges of said lips, and with said throats facing each other,

2. In a burial casket having body and top units of sheet metal, inwardly projecting planar marginal flanges on one of said body units terminating in flat lips extending longitudinally of the flanges and projecting at substantially right angles therefrom into the unit and having inwardly directed free edges, elongate members at least on two opposite flanges disposed longitudinally of and secured to said flanges in spaced relation with adjacent lips and each embodying a flat, relatively wide leg portion projecting obliquely across the free edge of the said adjacent lip with a side of said leg constituting an upholstery part guiding surface in spaced relation with said free edge and forming with the latter an access throat leading into an upholstery part housing area behind the adjacent lip, an ornamental liner for said one unit, and means forming a part of said liner and formed for insertion through said access throats into said housing areas and engaging with and across the free edges of said lips whereby the liner is secured to the unit.

3. A sheet metal structural unit of a burial casket including opposite side walls and designed for attachment of upholstery thereto, said unit having an inwardly extending planar marginal flange from each opposite side wall thereof terminating in a substantially right angle, a substantially vertical lip having a free edge on each flange, means secured to each flange between said lip and its adjacent side wall of the unit and having a part forming with the lip an elongate housing positioned between the lip and the said adjacent side wall of the unit and the housing having access throats in the horizontal plane of the edge of said lip and said throats facing each other, and said means having a portion inclined with respect to said flange to facilitate insertion in said throats of an upholstery part into the housing.

4. A sheet metal structural unit of a burial casket designed for attachment lof upholstery thereto, said unit having inwardly extending planar marginal flanges each terminating in a projecting substantially Vertical lip having an edge, an elongate strip fixed to each of -said flanges each having a mounting leg and each an inwardly inclined leg disposed relative to said flange and lip to form elongate housings substantially triangular shaped in cross section and having inwardly facing access throats facing each other for facilitating insertion of an upholstery part into the housing.

5. A burial casket cap comprising a sheet metal structure having a lower edge defined by an inwardly extending planar peripheral marginal flange which terminates in an upwardly turned lip, and an upper arched top including a peripheral inner surface spaced above and substantially coextensive with said marginal flange, means associated with said marginal flange and forming with said lip elongate triangular shaped housings including a full length access slot beyond and in the plane of said lip, and an ornamental sheet material insert including a central and depending side panels having upper edges secured to and carried by said central panel and free lower edges, the upper edges of said side panels urging portions of said central panel in abutting relationship with the peripheral inner surface of said arched top with the lower edges of said side panels received within said housing for securing said ornamental insert in place in said cap.

6. In the casket cap construction of claim 5, wherein the lower edges of the side panels received in said housing abut said marginal flange within said housing.

7. A sheet metal burial casket body having an inwardly extending planar peripheral marginal flange terminating in a downturned marginal lip inside the body and means associated with said flange and forming with said lip an elongate housing having an access throat inwardly of said lip, said lip projecting downwardly into said housing, the said housing being check-shaped in transverse cross-section, and the means associated with the flange comprising an elongate strip secured to the flange and having a mounting leg, a depending spacer leg and an upwardly and inwardly inclined hanger leg arranged in housingforming relationship with said flange and lip, an anchor panel having inner and outer marginal edges, said inner marginal edges received in said housing with the inner marginal edge of the panel received between the adjacent faces of said marginal lip and depending leg and terminating above the free lower edge of said marginal lip, with the intermediate portion of said panel overlying said hanger leg, said anchor panel bent downwardly over and around lthe free upper edge of said hanger leg to ho'ld said panel in said housing, a shrine and a skirt, and means securing said shrine and skirt to said anchor panel for concealing same throughout all movements of said shrine and skirt relative to said anchor panel.

8. A casket top comprising a sheet metal structure having an inwardly extending planar marginal flange terminating in an upturned peripheral lip interiorly of said cap, means associated with the flange and forming with said lip an elongate triangular shaped housing having an access slot coextensive with the free upper edge of said lip, an ornamental sheet material insert having side panels provided with marginal edges, said marginal edges received in said triangular shaped housing, and an ornamental gimp secured to and carried by the edge of said lip to conceal the joint between said lip and side panels of the insert, said gimp comprising an ornamental beading having an arcuate outer, inclined inner, and bottom faces, and wherein said bottom face is provided with a continuous groove adapted to receive the free upper edge of said lip, wherein the inner inclined face is adapted to engage the marginal portion of the side panels adjacent said housing, and wherein the arcuate outer face comprises a transition surface spanning and covering the joint betwen adjacent port-ions of the lip and side panels of the insert.

9. A casket top comprising a sheet metal structure having an inwardly extending planar marginal flange terminating in an upturned peripheral lip interiorly of said cap, means associated with the flange and forming with said lip an elongate housing having an access slot coextensive with the free upper edge of said lip, an ornamental sheet material insert having side panels provided with marginal edges, said marginal edges received in said housing, and an elongate ornamental strip secured to and carried by said side panels to abuttingly engage the free upper edge of said lip and conceal the joint between said lip and side panels of the insert.

lll. In combination, a sheet metal casket body including a wall and a rim, said rim having a horizontal upper flange, an upholstery retainer lip depending from the flange and having a lower free edge, a substantially U- shaped guide member fixed relative to the flange and having a pair of spaced legs meeting at a gently curved trough, with the base of the trough spaced beneath the lower free edge of the retainer lip, one leg of the guide ember being spaced from a face of the lip to form therewith an upholstery receptive pocket, and the other leg being spaced from the opposite face of the lip to provide a throat in communication with the pocket through the trough, an interior decorative insert comprising a substantially rectangular upholstered pad having a horizontal line of division defining an interior skirt and an overlay, and a bendable stiffening sheet within the overlay portion of the pad, including a longitudinal flexible driving edge in spaced substantial parallelism with said line of division, said driving edge being disposed within the pocket by advancement thereof `through the throat by way of the trough aforesaid, to anchor the insert relative to the casket body rim.

11. In combination, a sheet metal casket body including a wall and a rim, said rim having a horizontal inwardly projecting upper flange, an upholstery retainer lip depending from the flange and having a lower free edge, a substantially U-shaped guide member embodying a pair of spaced legs and a transversely arcuate part forming a connecting trough between said legs, said guide member being fixed by one of said legs to said flange and pendantly supported therefrom in upwardly opening position, said retainer lip extending into the guide member with the said free edge of the retainer lip directed toward and in spaced relation with the bottom of said trough, one leg of the guide member being spaced from one face of the lip to form therewith an upholstery receptive pocket, and the other leg being spaced from the opposite face of the lip to provide a throat in communication with the pocket through the trough, the throat being open in the direction of the plane of the flange.

12. In combination, a prefabricated insert for decoratively lining a burial casket having a circumferential flange, said insert comprising a substantially rectangular upholstered pad structure having a horizontal line of division defining an interior skirt and an exterior overlay, a bendable stiflening sheet within the overlay portion of the pad structure and including a longitudinal flexible driving edge in spaced substantial parallelism with said line of division, and means on the flange of the casket body for gripping the driving edge of the stiffening sheet.

13. A burial casket cap comprising a sheet metal structure including opposite sides adapted to be fastened to a casket body, said cap provided with an inwardly extending flange at each of the sides thereof and which flanges are in horizontal position when the cap is in closed position, an upwardly turned integral lip formed on each flange inside the cap, said lips having a free upper edge accessible inside the cap, a plate associated with each flange and including a leg having a free edge disposed in spaced parallelism with the free upper edge of each lip, said leg being spaced from the lip to provide an opentopped housing which face each other and for receiving upholstery material, the open top being defined by the free upper edges of the lips and the legs aforesaid, and a prefabricated cap insert carrying decorative upholstery material, said insert including a plurality of side panels each having a lower edge marginal portion received in said housing through the open top thereof.

14. A burial casket cap comprising a sheet metal structure adapted to be fastened to a casket body and including sides, said cap provided with an inwardly extended flange at each of the sides thereof and which flanges are in horizontal position when the cap is in closed position, a lip on each of the flanges projected upwardly inside the cap and having an upper free edge, an upholstery retaining member including a xed leg on each flange having an upper free edge spaced from the free edges of the respective lips to form open throats, said fixed legs being spaced from the lip to form respective housings accessible through the open throat and with said throats facing each other, a prefabricated cap insert carrying decorative upholstery material, said insert including a resilient side member having a lower marginal edge portion received in the housing through said open throat, the resilient side 1Q member of the insert being enlarged in depth to wedge between the bottom of the housing and the top of the cap, with the side member Vunder compressive strain and in bowed condition.

15. An interior unit for a sheet metal casket body, comprising a substantially rectangular upholstered pad having a line of division defining an interior skirt and an overlay, and a bendable stiffening anchor sheet within the overlay portion of the pad and including a longitudinal flexible driving edge in spaced substantial parallelism with said line of division, for advancing a portion of the pad into an upholstery retainer pocket carried by the casket body, incident to application of the interior unit to said body.

16. A casket cap insert comprising a relatively stiff but flexible central panel adapted t-o line the interior of the cap which has depending sides, anchorage edge margin removable receiving and holding means opening inwardly from each side of the cap and with the openings on opposite sides facing each other, said central panel having side and e-nd marginal portions, relatively stiff but resilient side members depending from the marginal portions of said panel, said side members having anchorage edge margins for attachment to the cap, said anchorage edge margins being coplanar with the side member a-nd in spaced substantial parallelism with the side and end marginal portions of the central panel, and decorative upholstery material covering the panel and the side members, said resilient side members adapted to be bowed and held under stress for retention of the insert in the said holding means within the casket cap.

17. In combination, a sheet metal casket body including a wall and a rim, said rim having a horizontal upper flange, an upholstery retainer lip depending from the flange and having a lower free edge, a substantially U-shaped guide member fixed relative to the flange and having a pair of spaced legs joined by a trough having a transversely curved inner surface, with the bottom of said inner surface spaced beneath the lower free edge of the retainer lip, one leg of the guide member being spaced from a face of the lip nearest to said rim to form with said face an upholstery receptive pocket, the other leg being spaced from the opposite face of the lip to provide a throat in communication with the pocket through the trough, a decorative, upholstery insert, and means carried by said insert adapted for introductions through said throat and to be guided into said pocket by sliding engagement with the said curved inner surface of said trough to anchor the insert in operative position in the casket body.

18. In combination, a sheet metal casket body including a wall and a flange, said flange having a horizontal upper face, a lip depending from the flange and having an inner and an outer side face and a lower free edge, a guide member fixed relative to the flange and including a leg depending in spaced relation to a face of the lip nearest to said wall and extending beyond the lower free edge of the lip to form a substantially vertical pocket between the leg and the lip, said leg below the pocket being bent to extend inwardly and upwardly within the casket body with a gentle curvature to a point spaced from the other side face of the lip and thereby providing a throat between said leg and the lip in communication with the pocket aforesaid, an insert of upholstery material advanced through the throat in said pocket and, said curvature of the leg bend functioning to revert and guide said material into the pocket.

19. A readily insertable and removable casket cap insert for a casket cap having a top and depending sides, anchorage edge margin removably receiving and holding means opening inwardly from each side of the cap and with the openings on opposite sides facing each other, said insert comprising a relatively stiff, flexible central panel and relatively still` resilient side members depending from said panel, said side members having anchorage edge marginal portions disposed in lsaid means and removably maintained therein solely by the stresses induced by bowing of said side members incident to insertion ofthe insert into the cap.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 430,964 6/1890 Kregel 27-19 521,419 6/1894 Pinkham 27-19 534,166 2/1895 Londen et al. 27-19 1,005,547 10/1911 Hollister 27-19 Overstreet 27-19 Bowler 27-19 Hillenbrand et al. 27-19 Wolter'ing 27-19 Gillison 27-17 Hillenbrand 27-14 Hillenbrand 27-19 Hillenbrand 27-19 White 27-19 10 RCHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Examiner. 

1. IN A BURIAL CASKET HAVING BODY AND TOP UNITS OF SHEET METAL, INWARDLY EXTENDNG PLANAR MARGINAL FLANGES ON ONE OF SAID UNITS TERMINATING IN LIPS HAVING FREE EDGES WHICH PROJECT INTO THE UNIT, MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID FLANGES AND FORMING WITH THE LIPS THEREOF ELONGATED HOUSINGS EACH HAVING AN INWARDLY FACING ELONGATED ACCESS THROAT DEFINED BY THE FREE EDGES OF SAID LIPS, AND WITH SAID THROATS FACING EACH OTHER. 